13-year-old basketball star commits to University of Texas at Austin

13-year-old basketball star commits to University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas women's basketball team has recruited 13-year-old Deja Kelly as a Longhorn — beginning in 2020.
Courtesy of texassports.com

One super talented Texas teen is making her Longhorn dreams come true. According to San Antonio Express-News, 13-year-old Deja Kelly has been recruited to play basketball for the University of Texas women's team — in 2020.

The San Antonio seventh grader gave a verbal commitment to women's basketball coach Karen Aston onSaturday, October 18, during the Texas vs. Iowa State football game, the newspaper reports.

Though she's only 13, the recruiting process isn't new for Kelly. Multiple colleges have been scoping her out since she was 11, Kelly tells the Today show, which ran a segment spotlighting the teen on November 3. (Today also notes that UT cannot comment on Kelly's verbal commitment because of NCAA rules.)

Although the verbal commitment does not legally bind Kelly to UT, no one is concerned about her dedication to the team. Her father, Darren Kelly, played for the UT men's basketball team from 1999 until 2001, and her mother confirms that Kelly's desire is to be a Longhorn.

"I know kids change their minds on a daily basis," Theresa Nunn, tells ESPN. "But this is something she's been pretty concrete with for the past five or six years."

With all the talk of college ball and 2020 commitments, it's easy to forget that the 5-foot-8-inch point guard is still a seventh grader attending Luna Middle School. But, if all goes according to her plans — and dreams — she'll be a Longhorn soon enough.

Kelly will be eligible to sign an official letter of intent to enter an athletics contract with the school in November 2019, states the San Antonio Express-News.